The Language Alchemy Podcast

“It's important to make a commitment to avoiding assumptions about people because of the way they look,” says host Alejandra. In honor of Pride Month, Alejandra explains the importance of personal pronouns. By demonstrating why they are used in speech, Alejandra gives insight into how to adjust your communication skills to be more inclusive. As a language teacher and communication coach, Alejandra...

“Emotions, tantrums, or even lashing out at parents are okay and shouldn't be curtailed,” explains guest Brian Wood. Alejandra describes her friend Brian’s communication style with his son as empathically mindful. Today, Brian and Alejandra discuss how other fathers can engage with increased emotional awareness right in time for Father’s Day. Brian acknowledges that his father came from a generati...

“The lessons of history can help educators and students stand up to bigotry and hate,” says Brian Fong, Program Director for the California Facing History and Ourselves chapter. Through this organization, Brian works to help others engage in complex topics, such as race and sexuality. Ultimately, Brian aims to nurture an empathetically challenging environment to facilitate positive change. During...

“You and I both can bring about equality and equity by using an inclusive language that decreases the impact of microaggressions for all the members of our human family,” explains host Alejandra. People who are members of marginalized groups experience microaggressions frequently due to other people’s implicit biases based on things like their looks, skin color, disability status, religion, gender...

“Unless we work on the messages we inherited, we just perpetuate them,” explains host Alejandra. After the murder of George Floyd, many people have reflected on what their hidden biases are and how these behaviors impact society. With years of this type of self-exploration, Alejandra breaks down the tools needed to reframe your internal dialogue and evaluate your views on racism and intolerance. L...

After the tragic murder of George Floyd, many people worldwide woke up to the importance of discussing race and equity. With a desire to respectfully navigate these critical conversations, many clients sought host Alejandra’s communication advice. As a result, Alejandra promotes literature to further the dialogue, such as Ijeoma Oluo's So You Want to Talk About Race. Ijeoma Oluo's So You Want to T...

“I wanted to be part of that stream of music that could change people’s minds and hearts,” explains Gary Lapow, the composer for the Language Alchemy Podcast music. Gary writes music to reflect different times in his life with a desire to provide hope. Today, host Alejandra and Gary discuss the power of music and how it can be a communication tool to make the world a more inclusive place. Gary has...

“When you redirect your reactivity, you choose to communicate in a peaceful way,” explains host Alejandra. With Mother’s Day on the horizon, Alejandra understands that communicating with your mother can be challenging. Today, Alejandra breaks down helpful language tools that you can use with your mother to ensure reconciliation and peace on this day. The best gift you can give your mother on Mothe...

From the pandemic to world war, human beings deal with a good amount of stress. As a result, we behave in damaging ways, such as acting defensive to those around us. Today, host Alejandra breaks down the different reactions to stress and how we can communicate more mindfully in our daily lives. Due to the pandemic, our human family is more disconnected than ever. Since we are social creatures, thi...

“I don't know any truly healthy relationship that has not had its good share of difficulties,” explains host Alejandra. Alejandra realizes that it’s natural for people to seek healthy relationships and debunks the everyday myths that prevent real connection. After all, we may not realize that our communication style prevents us from the relationships we want, something highlighted in Alejandra’s u...

“Skillful listening is as important, or perhaps even more important, than skillful speaking,” says host Alejandra. Through her work as a communication coach, Alejandra discovered that skillful listeners were the best communicators. Now, she teaches her clients how to use their listening skills to strengthen their relationships and interactions with others. Alejandra understands that communicating...

Today, host Alejandra answers one of her listener's questions on how to communicate effectively. Although we may believe that we are transparent with our wants and needs, there may be room for improvement to avoid misunderstandings. With her background in communication coaching, Alejandra shares easy ways to become a more effective communicator. If you find yourself having confusing or heated conv...

“The way we communicate is just a tool to access our deeper being. And I think for us, learning how to communicate was just learning how to be in love and speak with love with each other,” says Matthew Siroka, husband of host Alejandra. Often in her work coaching couples, clients ask how Alejandra and Matthew communicate. Today, Matthew shares what works for them and how to build a loving and last...

With the war in Ukraine still raging on, everyone in our human family feels troubled and tense. As a result, overall communication is suffering amongst loved ones and communities. Today, host Alejandra gives tips on becoming less reactive to have more productive and peaceful communication. Whether you react with anger or shut down in difficult conversations, giving into reactivity can harm your re...

Not all wars result in physical combat, such as the current war between Russia and Ukraine. Many battles exist in familial conflicts that may lead to estrangement or harmful effects on the body. In today’s episode, host Alejandra breaks down different ways to communicate peacefully to avoid destructive communication patterns. There are many benefits to peaceful living. From better sleep to healthi...

With the devastating war occurring in Ukraine, host Alejandra Siroka reflects on the power of language. Although language has the power to heal, it can also lead us to our destruction. With this in mind, Alejandra explores the darker side of speech: gaslighting. Often in unequal relationships, the person with more power uses gaslighting to manipulate others. By causing the other person to doubt th...

With International Women’s Day on the horizon, host Alejandra Siroka recognizes the value of celebrating women. By supporting women, we remind them of their worth, improving society as a whole. With her experience coaching women and as a woman herself, Alejandra breaks down concrete language suggestions that can raise up the women in your lives. Historically, and even now, many women are minimized...

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but you can take the most important part of the holiday with you. Can you guess what that is? One commonality most holidays share is the opportunity for intimacy with those who matter most. “Intimacy” comes from 2 Latin words: the word intimus, which means inmost, and intimare, which means to know deeply. So, you could say holidays are a chance to get a clear imp...

Valentine’s Day is a celebration many people either love or hate. Others may feel indifferent – or prefer to observe “Single’s Awareness Day” instead! Personally, I believe it’s important to have a day when millions of people express their love to those they care about. Maybe it’s through a hug or kiss. Maybe it’s through a gift, like a box of chocolates or jewelry. Maybe it’s through preparing a...

I find that it’s easier to connect to a concept when I delve into the origin of the word. The word “compassion” is a Latin word meaning, “to be with the pain of another.” Think about what that means. At first, the idea of taking on another’s pain may not sound appealing. Yet, compassion brings people together. When we communicate with compassion, we can understand others in their trouble; we can m...

This is the second part in my 3-part series on the qualities of transformative communication. In episode 28 we discussed communicating with clarity. Now we’re building upon it to discuss: -How to understand when you or others aren’t communicating with confidence -The benefits of communicating with confidence -2 action items to cultivate confidence in your communication Communicating with confidenc...

“Express yourself with clarity, confidence, and compassion.” This is the tagline for Language Alchemy, and it’s also a recipe for communication success. When you not only commit it to memory, but put it into practice, you’ll find it easier to meaningfully connect with others. If you’re wondering where to begin, I first recommend you focus on clarity. Speaking clearly sounds deceptively simple. How...

As Brené Brown once said, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.” But vulnerability may not always come easily – it relies on our ability to be honest with ourselves and share that honesty with others. Without sharing our truth, we can’t form authentic connections. My client, Jared, experienced a transformative communication journey where he rea...

It’s easy to describe why and how communication can help you in general terms. But what really paints a picture is hearing firsthand how someone nurtured their communication skills and what they gained from the experience. One great example comes from a client I’ve had the honor to guide. Denise DeLuca is a yoga and meditation teacher, mother and grandmother who seeks to communicate her heart. She...

Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution only to see your effort fade as the months pass? Maybe that little voice inside your head talked you out of reaching your goals. (“I don’t have time to run anymore because work is too busy.”) That voice can become assertive and convincing, and eventually win you over – causing you to feel relief when you quit. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Fo...